About the book: an Introduction

Has God prophesied the return of His Son, Jesus Christ, and has He prophesied the timing of His Second Coming? Yes, His Word sets the timing, and “It’s About Time.”

Reading the newspapers and watching the unfolding of events on television newscasts, Christians are becoming ever more assured that we are very close to the fulfillment of many Biblical end-time prophecies.

This book has been designed for the reader who has minimal Bible knowledge, and also for the advanced student of Scriptures. In the early chapters, we outline the various ways the passing of time is counted and how certain numbers and cycles are used in Scripture. Time gaps are discussed along with terms that identify end time events such as “in that day,” “in those days” and “at that time.” Then there is an overview of the prophetic ages of the Bible that begins in the Garden of Eden and finalizes at the end of the Millennial Kingdom reign of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the later chapters, details, as they unfold, are developed into a comprehensive picture of the entire Plan of God, from Creation and to the end of the Millennium.

The material for this book began as a personal study of the Old Testament Book of Daniel and the 70 weeks prophecy in chapter 9 verses 24 to 27. I was impressed by the accuracy of the fulfillment of this prophecy that foretold, Palm Sunday in 32 A.D., as the day when Jesus Christ would enter into the city of Jerusalem to present Himself to His people as their Messiah and their king (Matt. 12:12-15).

This alone was convincing evidence that God has revealed how His “appointed times” could be searched out in Scripture. The prophecy of the 70 weeks of Daniel and the fulfillment of the first coming of Christ Jesus contains the keys in unlocking other Scripture mysteries. An early work on this subject, “The Coming Prince” was written by Sir Robert Anderson.

Impressed by the results of Sir Anderson’s work, a search was made to locate other Scriptures where these principles could be applied. This search produced several areas of Scripture which provided the basis for determining the God-appointed duration for the various ages. Among the verses studied was the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. It was through the understanding of the time elements in this chapter that the “generation of Jesus Christ” was seen as the linchpin connecting prophecies relating to His First and Second Coming.

As the study expanded, there was found a remarkable precise and complete system of interrelated numbers and cycles used by God to measure and count everything associated with time and space. All of the major ages in Scripture were found to have time indicators that reveal the length of each age. There are certain cycles of time in God’s prophetic timetable associated with the First and Second Comings of Jesus Christ. The First Coming was as the Messiah, the Lamb of God, and the Second Coming will be as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and His Kingly reign will be as the Ram of God.

There are concepts in this book such as symbols, signs and numbers that may be new to some readers, but they are important to the full understanding of all that God has revealed in His Word.?14 It will be shown that there are certain events that have taken place in the Old Testament which foreshadow future spiritual realities. The study of these events, their symbols, types, and signs offer us insights that help us unfold future prophetic events.

The date of the birth of Jesus Christ is the center of all Bible prophecy. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet is Alpha and the last letter of the Greek alphabet is Omega. Thus, the letters Alpha and Omega represent Jesus Christ as the entire Word of God, as written in the Hebrew of the Old Testament and in the Greek of the New Testament. There are basically three types of prophecies concerning the Messiah Jesus, expressing Him as “He who was, He who is, and He who is to come” (Rev. 1:8).

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

He who was: the Messiah, the Anointed One. In the Old testament, He is described as the One to come, or the coming One .
He who is: the Redeemer and Savior. The One who came in the fullness of time to bring salvation to all mankind, who has returned to heaven until the time for His return.
He who is to come: the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The One who will come again to reign forever.

The plan of God, although vast in scope, can readily be understood. Charts have been provided throughout this study to assist you in your understanding of God’s plan.

Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (Psalm 90:12). I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty (Rev. 1:8).

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (Rev 22:20-21)